Zedd Says Lady Gaga’s ‘ARTPOP’ Is Not an EDM Album

DJ and producer Zedd is becoming a music star in his own right with 'Clarity, but he's also in a good position for having worked on tracks for Lady Gaga's upcoming 'ARTPOP.' He promised it's not an EDM record and is confident that people will dig the musical magic that he and the Mother Monster made.

"I'm really, really excited for people to hear what we came up with," Zedd, who said he and Gaga have prepped five or six tracks together, gushed to Rolling Stone. "I just really can't imagine they would not like it, to just say it straight up. I think the stuff we've made is pretty f---ing cool."

Little monsters needn't worry that Zedd, who is aligned with the EDM scene, imparted too much electronic influence on the pops songs that will litter the follow up to 'Born This Way.' He was quick to acknowledge that 'ARTPOP' is not an EDM platter.

"We didn't try to make an EDM album -- but, at the same time, we didn't try not to make an EDM album," he acknowledged, admitting that he stepped out of his own comfort zone on the record. "I've done a lot of stuff that's really outside of what I usually do. There was one song that started from her just giving me, like, 10 words to describe an emotion, and then I had to make this into music. It's been a very experimental way of approaching music.

While Zedd is stoked, the end result and what songs and ideas are further formulated are totally up to Gaga. "There's obviously more ideas and half-finished songs, but I'm not sure what she will want to put on the album," Zedd, who teamed up with Gaga at their label chief Jimmy Iovine's suggestion. "That is all her decision."

Zedd even recalled his first face-to-face with Gaga in London. It was chaotic, but it also set the table for what was to come. "We had, like, one minute to talk, and it was onstage while everyone was taking pictures and being really loud. She just said, 'Let's make music.'"

Zedd opened for Gaga on her Born This Way Ball's Asian leg and they wrote music during the tour and hit the studio after. He was totally blown away by her creative approach, since she does what she wants, when she wants. "It's amazing, because she does not have to please anyone, and she is who she is," Zedd said. "Her first idea of how we should approach the music was just to be completely open -- nothing is too crazy. Whatever is dope is dope. We do whatever we want, and we don't have to make a song that's 3 minutes and 30 seconds just to fit the radio."